Lions Promote LB Joe Bachie to Active Roster From Practice Squad
Detroit elevates the journeyman linebacker after he cleared roster cuts. He totaled 29 tackles across two teams in 2025, so temper any IDP hopes.
Special-teams role means no IDP value until he earns snaps.
- Signed to Lions active roster off practice squad
- 29 tackles in 2025 across Colts and Titans
- Started 5 games for Indianapolis before IR
- Played 10 games on special teams for Tennessee
- 48 tackles in 51 games earlier with Bengals, Eagles
The Lions dipped into their own practice squad Monday, promoting linebacker Joe Bachie to the active 53-man roster. He'd been camping out on the practice squad since failing to crack the initial cut in Detroit after spending the full offseason and preseason with the club.
This isn't a big-name addition. Bachie split last season between two teams, opening the year in Indianapolis where he started five games before a stint on injured reserve ended his run there. He landed with the Titans after his release and logged 10 games, mostly on special teams, finishing 2025 with a modest 29 combined tackles.
His career line tells a similar story. Earlier stops with the Bengals and Eagles produced 48 tackles across 51 appearances — depth-and-teams numbers, not the profile of a defensive playmaker who moves the needle on Sundays.
The move is part of a busy stretch on Detroit's roster margins. The Lions waived center Seth McLaughlin and running back Jabari Small last week, then re-signed both to the practice squad this week. Even after promoting Bachie, they're still carrying one open spot on the 53.
The Fantasy Fallout
For IDP managers, this is a name to log, not to chase. Bachie's history is that of a rotational linebacker and special-teams contributor, which means tackle volume — the currency of linebacker fantasy scoring — simply isn't there unless injuries force him into a heavier defensive role. Detroit's linebacker room would have to thin out considerably before he sees the snap counts that generate startable numbers.
The verdict: watch and wait. Leave Bachie on the waiver wire in all but the deepest IDP formats and monitor Detroit's injury report over the coming weeks. If he suddenly starts drawing meaningful defensive reps, that's your cue to revisit — until then, there's nothing here worth a roster spot.
